Instagram Edits (listed as Edits: Video Editor) is a free video editing app made by Instagram. It's a separate app from Instagram, on the App Store and Google Play, and you log in with your existing Instagram account.
Everything on this page comes from the official App Store and Google Play listings and edits.com, read as of October 2026. Edits calls itself "the new video creation app by Instagram", and on the App Store the seller is Instagram, Inc. It was first released on 22 April 2025.
The thing most people miss: Edits isn't a button inside Instagram. You download it on its own, and it exports your videos in 4K with no watermark, so you can share them to any platform, not just Instagram.
Edits at a glance
| What you want to know | Edits: Video Editor |
|---|---|
| Maker | Instagram (App Store seller: Instagram, Inc.) |
| Price to download | Free; in-app purchases listed on both stores |
| iPhone | iOS 16.3 or later; 347.6 MB; rated 4+; 4.8 from about 98K ratings (US) |
| Android | Google Play; 100M+ downloads; 4.7 from about 1.92M reviews; rated Everyone |
| Sign in | Your existing Instagram account |
| Export | 4K, no watermark |
| Longest clip you can capture in the app | 10 minutes |
| Last update when checked | 27 Oct 2026 (version 453.1 on iPhone) |
Is the Edits app free?
Yes to download, but that's not the whole story. Both stores flag in-app purchases: the App Store says "Free · In-App Purchases" and Google Play says "In-app purchases". Neither listing tells you here what they cost or which tools sit behind them, so I won't guess. Download it, use the free tools, and check inside the app before you pay for anything.
What Edits does
The listings and edits.com describe a full phone editor rather than a filter app:
- Capture: record clips up to 10 minutes long and start editing straight away, with camera settings for resolution, frame rate and dynamic range, plus upgraded flash and zoom controls.
- Edit: single-frame precision, green screen, cutout or a video overlay, fonts, filters and effects, stickers, and AI animation to bring images to life.
- Sound: sound and voice effects, plus audio enhancement to make voices clearer and remove background noise.
- Captions: generate captions automatically and customise how they look.
- Ideas: browse reels with trending audio and save ideas and content until you're ready to create.
- Insights: a live insights dashboard to track how your reels perform and what affects engagement.
- Drafts: all your drafts and videos kept in one place.
edits.com also lists Keyframes, Teleprompter, Restyle, Storyboards, Cinematic filters and Templates. The latest update notes (version 453.1, 27 October 2026) add caption styles, with a new default plus seven presets, one-tap auto adjust for brightness and colour, better stability and faster exports. If captions are your main reason for looking, see my guide to the best auto caption apps.
What the tools do
Edits has a tutorial page for most of its features on edits.com. Here's what the main ones are for, in plain English:
- Keyframes: bring static shots to life with smooth zooms, dynamic text and overlays. Keyframes also work on text, overlays and cutouts.
- Restyle: an AI-powered effect that transforms things like your outfit, location, lighting or style using presets. It only supports individual clips of up to 10 seconds, so trim first.
- Cutouts and blur: cutouts separate a subject from the background, and a background blur adds depth. Filters and crop give phone footage a more cinematic look.
- Camera: shoot in HD, 2K, 4K or HDR with a choice of frame rate. There's a built-in countdown timer for solo shoots, touch-up for talking heads, and clip preview.
Captions and audio
Captions are generated automatically at the press of a button, and you can change the font and colour. The part I like is the bulk editor: tap any caption text and you can fix typos, merge captions and split them, which saves a lot of fiddling one word at a time.
For sound, you can import music, voiceovers and sound effects. An enhance tool cleans, balances and levels the volume, and a fade feature fades audio in and out, so your clip doesn't start or stop with a jolt.
Planning before you film
This is the side of Edits I'd use most. Storyboards let you plan a video before you record, and a storyboard then turns into a project. The Ideas tab holds Instagram content you've saved, plus stickies for notes and scripts.
There's a teleprompter too. In the Edits camera you tap the script icon and paste or write your script, and it scrolls on screen while you record. You can change the font size and scrolling speed and move the window around, and a script you've written on a sticky in the Ideas tab can be sent straight to it. For anyone who talks to camera, that's a big help.
Templates inside Edits
Edits has its own templates, separate from the ones in the Instagram app. When a creator shares a video as a template, you get its timing, music, text and creative elements, then swap in your own clips. You'll find them in the Inspiration tab, and the template's creator is credited every time someone uses it.
Which devices it runs on
On Apple, the App Store page says "Only for iPhone" and needs iOS 16.3 or later. On Android, it's on Google Play. The store listings are for phones, so if you want to edit on a computer, read my guide to the Instagram Edits desktop version first.
How Edits differs from editing inside Instagram
Instagram's own Reels recorder is built in, and it takes one or more clips adding up to 20 minutes, though reels over 3 minutes aren't recommended to new audiences. Edits is a separate app aimed at making the video before you post: clips up to 10 minutes per capture, frame-by-frame editing, 4K exports with no watermark that you can post anywhere, and an insights dashboard for your reels. If you just want a quick effect on a reel, the Instagram app will do; here's how voice effects work inside Instagram. For anything more polished, Edits gives you far more control.
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Step-by-step guides to making a reel in Edits and what CC means in Edits are separate topics, so I've kept them off this page.
Where to get it
Search for "Edits: Video Editor" on the App Store on iPhone, or "Edits" from Instagram on Google Play. Check the seller or developer says Instagram before you install, then log in with your Instagram account.
My verdict
If you make reels from your phone, download Edits. It's free, it's from Instagram itself, and the no-watermark 4K export alone makes it worth having, because you can reuse the same video on other platforms. Just go in knowing there are in-app purchases, and don't expect it on your iPad.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instagram Edits free?
It's free to download on the App Store and Google Play. Both listings also flag in-app purchases.
Is Edits a separate app from Instagram?
Yes. Edits is its own app made by Instagram. You download it separately and log in with your existing Instagram account.
Does Edits add a watermark?
No. The App Store listing says you can export videos in 4K with no watermark and share them to any platform.
Is Edits on Android?
Yes. Edits is on Google Play from the developer Instagram, with 100M+ downloads when checked in October 2026.
How long can a clip be in Edits?
You can capture clips up to 10 minutes long in Edits and start editing right away.
Does Edits have a teleprompter?
Yes. In the Edits camera you tap the script icon, paste or write a script, and it scrolls on screen as you record. You can adjust the font size and scrolling speed.
Does Edits have templates?
Yes. Edits templates are in the Inspiration tab. You get the original video's timing, music, text and creative elements, swap in your own clips, and the creator is credited.
Can I use Edits on a computer?
The App Store and Google Play list Edits for phones. For the desktop answer, see my guide to the Instagram Edits desktop version.
